The India Mobile Congress 2023 witnessed groundbreaking announcements and initiatives in the telecom industry, bringing India closer to becoming a global technology leader. This article explores key developments, including Reliance Jio’s satellite communications service, the impending satellite broadband services by Eutelsat-OneWeb, and the 5G race among telecom giants.
Expanding Broadband Access Across India
Reliance Jio, helmed by Mukesh Ambani, made a significant stride in connecting the unconnected with the launch of Jio Space Fiber, its satellite communications service. The service, unveiled at the India Mobile Congress, demonstrated its capability by connecting four of the most remote locations in India: Gir, Gujarat; Korba, Chhattisgarh; Nabarangpur, Odisha; and Jorhat, Assam. Akash Ambani, chairman of Reliance Jio Infocomm Ltd., highlighted that this move would enable millions of homes and businesses in India to experience broadband internet for the first time, emphasising the company’s mission to bridge the digital divide.
Sunil Mittal Unveils Ambitious Plans
In response to Reliance Jio’s announcement, Eutelsat-OneWeb, with significant backing from Bharti Airtel, revealed its readiness to commence satellite broadband services from the next month. Sunil Mittal, co-chairman of Eutelsat-OneWeb, assured that satellite broadband services were poised to cover every inch of India. He pointed out that the OneWeb constellation, where Bharti has the largest stake, was prepared to serve not only the country but the entire globe. This development would bring connectivity to even the most remote and challenging areas, with a satellite ground station established in Mehsana, Gujarat.
Airtel and Jio Seek Government Support
While both Airtel and Jio have ambitious plans for satellite-based services, they face the challenge of obtaining the necessary satellite spectrum from the government to make their services commercially available. Currently, the government is deliberating on the allocation method, with Jio and Vodafone Idea advocating for auctions and Airtel pursuing non-auction-based allocation.
Vodafone Idea’s 5G Ambitions
Vodafone Idea announced its intentions to roll out 5G services, emphasising “significant investments” in the coming quarters. Kumar Mangalam Birla, chairman of the Aditya Birla Group, stated that the company was determined to realise the government’s vision of establishing a robust supply chain in critical and emerging areas, including OpenRAN. Birla also mentioned that Vodafone Idea had been preparing its core network for 5G deployment and had developed a range of advanced use cases across various sectors.
Jio and Airtel’s Rapid 5G Deployment
In the race to establish 5G dominance, Reliance Jio and Bharti Airtel have emerged as frontrunners. Akash Ambani, chairman of Reliance Jio, revealed that they had deployed a 5G cell every 10 seconds, installing over one million 5G cells across all 22 circles of India. He proudly noted that Jio had contributed to 85% of the overall 5G capacity in the country, providing one of the world’s fastest 5G internet speeds. A 100% in-house 5G stack, designed, developed, and manufactured locally, powered Jio’s 5G rollout, positioning India among the top three 5G-enabled nations.
Sunil Mittal, during his keynote speech, informed the audience that Airtel’s terrestrial 5G services were already available across 5,000 districts and 20,000 villages. He outlined their ambitious plans to achieve nationwide 5G coverage by the end of March 2024.
Empowering India’s 5G Revolution
During the inaugural day of the India Mobile Congress, Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched 100 ‘5G Use Case Labs’ for educational institutions. This initiative aims to foster innovation in various sectors such as education, agriculture, health, power, and transportation, catapulting India to the forefront of 5G technology adoption. Prime Minister Modi highlighted the critical role of indigenous telecom technology in ensuring national security and expressed his confidence that India would lead the way in 6G technology.
A Transformative Era for Indian Telecom
The India Mobile Congress 2023 showcased the rapid advancements in the Indian telecom sector, from satellite communications to 5G proliferation and forward-looking initiatives. As the country continues to embrace cutting-edge technology, the future holds the promise of enhanced connectivity, innovation, and economic growth.
